DR Malinga breaks down during an interview discussing her financial woes

Multi-award-winning musician Dr. Malinga struggled to hold back his tears as he reflected on his financial woes. He unpacked how SARS seized and auctioned his furniture in his presence in an interview  on Podcast and Chill with MacG.

He said at the time he was not making money due to the COVID-19 restrictions. “In music, you depend on being called for your service,” he explained as he opened up about his financial problems.

The Akulaleki hitmaker said after SARS came after him, he sought financial assistance from Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, but he did not come to his rescue.

“After two years, SARS came. I called Minister Nathi Mthethwa, we talked. Sometimes when I am hungry don’t advise that you have to plough, just dish out for me. I am not bath mouthing him, I am talking about what happened. I was calling people that I worked with, but they didn’t come to my rescue,” he said.

He continued: “They took everything. When you enter my house, if you don’t have a heart, you will laugh. My house is empty,” he said.

Dr. Malinga said he owes the taxman R500 000. “Auction is painful. I was there, I went there, and then I wanted to say ‘please is not like I don’t want to pay, I don’t have money. I am not trending. I don’t have songs. I am not being called at gigs and I can’t force people to book me,” he said.

Due to his habit of giving, the muso does not accept donations. As he described how he always helps people, but they don’t reciprocate, the muso broke down.

“Every time I give people, they don’t come for me” He continued “Musa Khawula announced that everything had been taken from me, I was fine about that before because they took them in July and I thought I could recover whatever was due to SARS but I couldn’t because money is not coming in,” he said.